The Leftovers fourth episode, ‘BJ and the AC’ continued to build upon the strong episode last week, turning away from Reverend Matt and back toward the Guilty Remnant, which has morphed from a mysterious unknown entity into an evil f*cking cult and the show’s real villain. In bringing out the cult’s insidiousness, Lindelof and company have managed to create more sympathy for Kevin and, finally, for his daughter, too. The wild card here is Amy Brenneman’s Laurie, who is both a terrible mother, a frustrating person, and the show’s most heartbreaking character.

The Christmas episode centered on the disappearance of a baby Jesus (The “BJ”) from the town’s nativity scene, which at the very least allowed for a very impressive opening sequence that saw the mass production of dolls that, in a way, would mirror the larger, more realistic dolls that were strewn on the road later in the episode. Those, of course, were Loved Ones, which are basically mass produced corpses which allow grieving family members to bury something in lieu of their departed family members. They are also creepy as hell when they’re strewn about on the highway. “Some sad idiot paid a f*cking fortune just to bury those things.”

HBO

The baby Jesus subplot admittedly felt like a quirky plotline straight out of an episode of Northern Exposure, but it succeeded in doing a few things: 1) It allowed us more time with the twins, Adam and Scott Frost (Max and Charlie Carver, the twin kids from Desperate Housewives), who are shaping up to be a solid source of much-needed comedic relief on The Leftovers, 2) It gave us a sense that Aimee (Emily Meade) is more sympathetic than Jill (and almost certainly has the hots for her best friend’s Dad, Kevin), and 3) It showed that Jill Garvey can be a petulant, bratty teenager, but — in refusing to launch the Nerf arrow for the baby Jesus’ Viking funeral — we also realize that there is a heart buried somewhere deep underneath all the emotional scarring.

We saw more of that in a scene in which Jill gave her mother a Christmas present, a cigarette lighter with a message inscribed on it asking her mother not to forget her. That was a heavy Christmas present, and it came on the heels of an emotionally torturous scene in which Laurie — through Meg Abbot — served divorce papers to Kevin. Kevin rightfully refused to sign them until Laurie would speak to him first, something she refuses to do, as she clearly honors her GR vows over the vows of her marriage.

HBO

That scene gave us more insight into Kevin as a father and husband: He had taken an already damaged Laurie in after a bad relationship and treated Tom as his own son. Laurie, as she pointed out in the letter, has always been screwed up. The “Rapture” only hastened it to the surface.

‘The Leftovers’ Develops Its Villain, And She’s Pure Evil

I’ve only seen Eps #3 & #4 (and part of #2) and only started because of THIS Website (Some shows are better when you can have debate & hear discussions about it afterwards)…having said that.

The loved one picture stealing by GR gave another more insidious intent idea in my mind. Maybe it’s all a mind-f*ck? Is it possible that it’s as easy as Aliens stole the “Loved Ones” for Genetic Harvesting (maybe they’re alive on a mother ship somewhere?) and now GR are the Aliens cloaked in human meat-sacks observing the after math of who is left? The way they steal the Church from the Priest & why they’re messing with Kevin (Patti is anyway) leads me to think that this is Jack Shepard (Kevin) & John Locke (Priest) all over again – there is going to be a ‘Crisis of Faith’ at some point. Patti & her goons are the “Man in Black” (only now Women in White) – I could be wrong.

I like that we don’t know where it’s going and that it’s different – However, I am VERY Worried about getting invested because I read even the creator admits HE DOESN’T KNOW where it’s going….just what I need more rabbit holes that might lead No Where.

However, THIS website makes the show more fun & explain things I didn’t see the first time.

The kevin/nora scene in the hallway is a great example of how stellar the writing is on this show. It may be heavy handed at times, but the show is so matter-of-fact. 2% of the population disappearing is so small but big enough to magnify all the failures and vices of the characters. I don’t see how their world is much different from ours and that’s why I can’t stop watching.

Can anyone tell me if the baby pyre scene with the nerf arrows was in the books? Because if not, I was wondering if that was Lindelof sending a message to GRRM and the people who said the ending to Lost sucked: “Go f*ck yourselves”.

I’m actually glad I stuck it out so far. The first two episodes weren’t great, but the last two weeks have been much better. I’m not completely invested in these characters on an emotional level, but I’m more interested in seeing how things progress. Also, having Last Week Tonight come on right after is a good idea. It’s a real nice palate cleanser.

I have a few questions, but let me say up front that the woman and I are digging it. It’s not on that top shelf level where I place 4 or 5 other shows but I think its easily tops this summer for us. I enjoy it more than Tyrant, The Strain, and Ray Donovan..also must mention H&CF which I quit on about 4eps in.

What I want to ask, and I’m generally curious and not trolling or calling people names or any of that, is why if some of you loathe this show so much, do you–??
1) still watch it
2) read a 2 page review on it
and 3) comment on it, with detailed precision

Again, not picking a fight, seriously do not understand why. When I don’t like something I avoid it as much as possible and do not participate in it through several forms of media.

Oh yeah, I’m again going to mention the “Blue”. What the hell is with all the blue? If you haven’t yet noticed, or caught on to it, go back and watch them all and just pay attention to the blue everywhere, as in way over the top everywhere. It’s fascinating to me.

I was looking for some help in deciding whether or not this show was going anywhere. We’ve all been burned by shows that ask interesting questions with no idea what the answers are (I don’t buy the “you decide what the answer is” either, it’s a cop-out) I’m really trying to like this show (and in the process foster harmony at home with a spouse who digs it) but it’s getting harder each week. If they aren’t going to address why this happened and instead just focus on how people deal with what happened then how is it any different than, say, a man who lost his family in the MH17 tragedy? Help me understand.

While I don’t watch it, I do skim the recaps and read the comments out of the same sense of evil glee that we all feel when Lucy convinces Charlie Brown to take one more shot at kicking that football. I think Lindelof is going to drive this show completely into a river and I will laugh at all the folks who were dumb enough to give him yet another chance. That’s my motivation, at least. It’s nothing personal, except against Lindelof.

We certainly don’t know that the GR are “evil” and in fact wouldn’t be surprised if in the long run the series makes several attempts at vindicating them somewhat. They’re creepy and seem menacing but we certainly don’t really know anyhow about them.

::braces for influx of morons who hate the show, and yet somehow find themselves coming here week after week in an obsessive manner to complain incessantly about it::

I think this week’s episode was the best yet. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Can’t wait to see how the rest of the season plays out.
so I’m assume the black guy, whatever his name is, is Satan maybe? and the asian chick who is pregnant is carrying the antichrist? that would explain the outburst of the crazy dude in the hostel with his penis out – or wherever they were.

try thinking beyond the one-dimensional box you seemed to be trapped in, captain. My comment was obviously about the same people who come here week after week to complain about the SAME show, the SAME eye roll-inducing complaints, it gets a little tiring. I have no problem with intelligent conversation and debate but I’m referring to the internet hipsters that are “too cool for school” about everything.

see, and I did all of that without a tongue in cheek little “seems legit, logic checks out” esque remark, either! never saw either of those on the world wide webs before. very original.

@Timartoonies mmm yeaaaah, but there’s a difference between coming to discuss a show you’re actually excited about and enjoying, and logging onto a site JUST to berate the people that are enjoying it, and bitch bitch bitch. nice try though.

@dirtynouveau..so you appreciate “intelligent conversation and debate” but anyone who doesn’t like the show is a moron? How does someone as intelligent as you debate with morons? Do you use pictures to convey concepts? Perhaps shiny object to get their attention? Reward with food when they grasp ideas? You should be more careful about labeling people with whom you disagree. You’ll never get an intelligent conversation or debate with someone you greet as an idiot.

don’t think you’ll have to worry about it for too much longer. After 4 episodes, people seem to have found a good grasp of whether the show is for them or if it’s not. Comment sections are dying as people move on. So you’ll be left to your devices probably by next week.

@timortoonies – you’re missing the point entirely. so much so, that it flew past you without any recognition by you whatsoever, and you’re now grasping at straws because I used the word “moron.” get over it.

so the guy that’s getting trolled thinks he’s doing the trolling! HAH! this can’t get any better. dude, did you see how last week’s thread ended up? you posted ten minutes after me, almost close to midnight. I bet you were hitting “refresh” while stroking your little 16 yr old nerdrage boner. unplug dude, before you embarrass yourself any further. I’m sure mom and dad are already up to their necks in therapy bills because their little Timmy has social problems – please stop transferring your inability to mesh well with society onto the internet.

hahahaha… once again, less than 15 minutes after I post, he comes back.
I swear to god, I could shit on your chest, and the entire time you’d be telling me (and yourself) how it was your plan the entire time. hahaha
you’re perfect man :)

With Scott Winters in that picture and the guy from House of Cards (Sebastian Arcelus) in another I would venture it’s pretty safe that the “Heroes” will be returning at some point. Hard to imagine two somewhat well known actors solely being used for pictures. Although they could do Lost style flashbacks I suppose.

I won’t suffer through this show much longer, I’ve only gone this far because my wife likes it. Ever since LOST I’m skeptical that the story will be full of questions without any answers and LEFTOVERS keeps piling up the questions. Again, like LOST, the creators know it’s easier to pose interesting questions when you don’t have any idea what the answers are. To the book-readers, tell me there are answers in our future or I’m outta here!

I took it off my DVR last week. I will follow along here, but I won’t complain about the show being ‘not my cup of tea.’ I am pretty opened-minded about most kind of shows. Never watched more than a few episodes of Lost because I couldn’t take the A-Team-like devotion to form: Opening sequence, pose some type of conflict, flashback of one character for 40 minutes, limited resolution to conflict, mysterious occurrence, End credits. I wanted the plot to move forward and it wasn’t moving forward enough for me to remain interested.

Here, I just can’t get into the story. The premise engages me, but the character’s do not. That’s on me and I’m not telling anyone they are wrong and I am right.

So what’s the endgame for the GR? Are they hoping everyone joins them and they all drink the Kool-Aid? They’re clearly organized and powerful and national. But nothing of what they do makes sense beyond being frustrating/creepy. Unless we get a sense of where they’re going with all this, they are going to turn people off.

Yeah, I am having a hard time too. It’s just soooo stupid more than it’s smart. But that’s Lindelof. People will over praise his idiocy along with the shining moments so they don’t feel stupid for liking something mediocre or shitty.

I thought the last episode was legitimately compelling television but otherwise…yeah, this show is pretty damn boring and depressing. It’s just nihilism for nihilism’s sake. I think I have one more episode left in me (just because there isn’t shit else on TV right now other than Rectify it seems like) but if next week sucks too I’m throwing in the towel.

I’ve said it before, but I think a disappearance is very different than death. Yeah, people did better at getting over 9/11. But we also changed elements of our culture, like security at airports, and starting a war on terror – we were able to take steps.

What do you do when people disappear and we don’t know if it will happen again, or even if they will reappear at some point? Sure we can assume they are dead, but that would be hard to do if you know there was never a body, never a cause.